Foreign and Military Affairs

Swiss decision on terrorists hurts ties: Spokesman

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-04 21:37

BEIJING: Switzerland's decision to take two Chinese terrorist suspects held at Guantanamo Bay would undermine its relations with China, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday.

Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment the report about Switzerland's decision on Wednesday.

Ma said, China has made known its position on this issue and lodged solemn representations to Switzerland at the first meeting on joint study of the feasibility of China-Switzerland free trade area, being held in Beijing.

The seven Chinese Uygur terrorist suspects currently held at the Guantanamo Bay are the members of the "East Turkistan Islamic Movement," which is included in the sanctions list of the UN Security Council's 1267 Committee, Ma said.

The 1267 Committee was established in 1999 by all 15 members of the Security Council to impose sanctions on Al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and the Taliban.

According to UN Security Council resolution 1373, all states shall abide by the rules laid out in the seventh chapter of the UN charter and refuse to provide asylum to those who finance, plan, facilitate, commit terrorist acts or grant asylum to terrorists, said Ma.

All countries have the obligations to fulfill their international commitments, he said, noting that "Switzerland, as a member of the United Nations, should also honor the commitments."

The suspects, from China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, were swept up by the United States during the Afghanistan war launched after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.